Drag Queen Matte Is Behind the Bratz-Inspired Makeup All Over Instagram

In August, Matte posted a picture of the look she came up with, and it went viral almost immediately. People started making fan art and sending her messages saying, “I’ve never seen this done before.” She’s doubtful about that, by the way. “It’s kinda been done, but maybe not in this exact way,” she says. One of the first people to actually recreate the look, though, is one of her friends. A group of them share their looks with each other on Instagram and talk about RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“I don’t get pressed about getting credit, though,” Matte tells Allure. “The thing I love about seeing all the recreations is they give me inspiration, too. Everyone puts their own twist on it. We’re all just figuring out this Bratz doll face together. It’s not my face. It’s just a face.”

Now, makeup artists on Instagram and YouTube stars like Promise Tamang transforming themselves into Mattes. Here are some recreations I bookmarked as soon as I saw them on my Explore page.

What you can’t tell from Matte’s viral selfies is just how long it takes for her to create each look. The complete process takes about three and a half hours — all for a night out. Damn. Matte doesn’t do drag performances, she notes. Instead, she does her makeup and goes out with friends. What really got me was the fact that Matte isn’t even a professional makeup artist either. “I just enjoy doing makeup — never taken classes,” she says. “It’s all taught from YouTube. YouTube is really the best teacher, isn’t it?”